Singer's Equation for Deserving Rights.
A body or group + The act of suffering + The capability to prevent the suffering = The need to have rights or take action to protect them.

This equation is an accurate interpretation of Singer's thinking for the following reasons. (I just finished my APUSH reading about the constitution and this set up just feels right) This whole equation is based on the presence of a body of things that are being oppressed. Without a discriminated against group, there is no problem, or necessity for action. Then the act of suffering is what is really the cause of the whole problem of rights. There has to be oppression upon that body to display the need for protection of the rights that body is entitled too. When there is suffering in this instance, there is an oppressor, (us in Singer's essay) and the oppressed (animals). This one sided destruction is what leads to the deficiency of rights. Finally, if the suffering this oppressor causes can be prevented, or avoided, then action must be taken. From the animal rights prospective here, the fact that all animal abuse for the sake of food can be avoided is the prime example of this variable of the equation. In the presence of all of these variables, The need for the protection of rights must be fulfilled,  and steps must be taken because the oppressed deserve their liberties to be shielded from the oppressors.

From The Sunsets of Miss Olivia Wiggins
"The chains on the swing creaked responses to crickets and frogs as the sun cast long shadows across the yard."

From Grandad's Prayers of the Earth
"A bird prays when it sings the first song of the morning, and it prays in that silent moment just before it sings. And the robin's last song at sundown is an evening prayer."

From AQuiet Place
"You might find an old stump for a chair or a moss log for a couch in a green mansion of shadows and sunbeams."

The essay that struck a chord the most with me was the essay called What They Don't Tell You About Cancer. This is for the reason that I was in her shoes, I lived this story. The opening paragraph, describing that she didn't know what cancer was, expecting it to be a, ".. garbage full of used Kleenex" illness rather then a battle was an idea that I shared with her. So what can I steal then if it's so close? Hmmmm. I like how she opens the second paragraph with the setting, establishing the surroundings with great imagery. Then later in the third paragraph her listing of what her grandpa might miss because of the illness, or what she might not get to do with him again really establishes a connection with anyone who's had to deal with someone close going through cancer. This list also creates a picture of the grandpa for you, of things that he liked to do and of how he lived. It got a little to sappy when she was asking all the why's, though it wasn't a huge deal but again I can yoink the description of what I'll miss about my grandpa, and his smoking.

At the end of this essay, not only was I listening to sad music, but my mom had just put a picture of my grandpa up on the wall so needless to say my mood has been dampened significantly. I loved this essay though, and being sad just means it did it's job well.

Tim and Eric's Billion Dollar Movie

On Saturday night I had some friends over and we had a little bro night. So nine of us guys made bonfire that was of course slightly to large for safety and of course gas came out to make the night more exciting by lighting a near by tree on fire. But after our fun with fire we watched one of the oddest movies I think has ever been made. This movie is called Tim and Eric's Billion Dollar Movie. It starts with Tim and Eric who got a billion dollars to make a movie, but they spent it on a diamond suit and ended up with a crappy three minute movie. Needless to say they are in the whole then for a billion dollars and not ten minutes in, the two go on a drinking binge and Tim's arm is cut off and Eric gets a piercing in the place no guy should. I really don't want to describe the rest of the movie, but it only gets weirder. What I found interesting though was who of my friends liked it. It was as you expected as to who liked it and they were the funny, not best decision makers and they absolutely loved it. But then the friends who were the good, smart ones just couldn't give a damn about it other then a few quotable spots. But the interesting thing was that the more every one though about it and talked about it, everyone agreed that it really was, a really horrifically funny, but awful movie.

Yay I'm on blogger.